While they lay here expecting this supply they received intelligence by
the treachery of the Portuguese Governor of St. Catherine's, of Mr.
Anson's having arrived at that island on the 21st of December preceding,
and of his preparing to put to sea again with the utmost expedition.
Pizarro, notwithstanding his superior force, had his reasons (and as some
say, his orders likewise) for avoiding our squadron anywhere short of the
South Seas. He was besides extremely desirous of getting round Cape Horn
before us, as he imagined that step alone would effectually baffle all
our designs, and therefore, on hearing that we were in his
neighbourhood** and that we should soon be ready to proceed for Cape Horn
he weighed anchor*** after a stay of seventeen days only and got under
sail without his provisions, which arrived at Maldonado within a day or
two after his departure. But notwithstanding the precipitation with which
he departed we put to sea from St. Catherine's four days before him and
in some part of our passage to Cape Horn the two squadrons were so near
together that the Pearl, one of our ships, being separated from the rest,
fell in with the Spanish fleet, and mistaking the Asia for the Centurion
had got within gunshot of Pizarro before she discovered her error, and
narrowly escaped being taken.

(*Note. The calendar as regulated by Julius Caesar in 46 BC assumed the
length of the solar year to be exactly 365 1/2 days, whereas it is eleven
minutes and a few with seconds less. By 1582 the error had become
considerable for the calendar was ten days behind the sun. Pope Gregory
XIII therefore ordained that ten days in that year should be dropped and
October 5th reckoned as October 15th. In order to avoid error in the
future it was settled that three of the leap years that occur in 400
years should be considered common years. So 1600 was and 2000 will be a
leap year but 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not. The New Style (NS.) was
adopted by Catholic countries. Protestant countries as a rule rejected it